“July 4, 1930 was the 96th anniversary of the Goan Declaration of Self-Determination.” The term Declaration of Self-Determination seems like a latter idea transplanted on the developments of 1930.
“The democratically elected representatives of the people of Goa to the Government Council issued the Declaration.” This could be contested, in the sense that it was not a democratic legislature in the modern sense of the term. Suffrage was highly restricted. Representation was limited by colonial rules, literacy, property ownership and such qualifications. The majority of Goans then did not participate politically. “The Declaration was a protest against the Acto Colonial that had condemned the Goans to perpetual servitude.” It is true that the Acto Colonial (i) defined Portugal as having a civilising mission over its overseas territories (ii) classified colonies as part of the Portuguese Colonial Empire (iii) strengthened its imperial control. The Goan declaration objected to this framework. However "condemned Goans to perpetual servitude" is an interpretation; are we suggesting that this was part of the language of the document? The declaration also did not demand independence (maybe understandably so, as the discourse was at a different point then). “The Declaration was approved by the Council by unanimity.” That is true. But it should not be taken to suggest that all Goans unanimously (or in large numbers) supported it. At best, it represents the vote of that institution, and not a referendum of the population as a whole. “Governor Craveiro Lopes continued to condemn the Acto Colonial and defend Goan self-determination after returning to Portugal, risking his career.” Are there any references that support this claim or suggestion? “They did not seek transfer of sovereignty to the Indian Union because it did not yet exist as a nation.” True. But the Indian independence movement already existed, and some Goan nationalists were already linked to it. Saying it was impossible to seek transfer to India because India did not exist as a nation is anachronistic; political movements can anticipate future states and political trajectories. The 1946 movement (a few months before 1947) could be seen as a good example of this. “Menezes Bragança believed Goa had a distinct individuality and psychology.” True. Menezes Bragança did emphasise Goan distinctiveness. But his views also evolved, and he combined Goan identity with Portuguese cultural affiliation at times. Possibly the jury is still out among the historians on how to interpret his views.“Menezes Bragança was always loyal to Portugal.”He has sometimes been described as a Portuguese constitutionalist and a Goan autonomist. He criticised colonial domination, demanded rights, and opposed Salazar's colonial system. So he's more complex than being "loyal to Portugal". Just a few points by way of discussion. FN _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ _/ Frederick Noronha फ्रेडरिक नोरोन्या * فريدريك نورونيا _/ AUDIO https://archive.org/details/@fredericknoronha _/ http://goa1556.in +91-9822122436 784 Saligao Goa _/ Goanet :: 30 years of discussions. [email protected] _/ http://lists.goanet.org/pipermail/goanet-goanet.org/ _/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/ On Sun, 5 Jul 2026 at 10:01, JOHN DE FIGUEIREDO <[email protected]> wrote: > Today (July 4, 2026) the people of the United States commemorate the 250th > anniversary of the birth of their Nation. Today is also a day of reflection > to all Goans because it is the 96th anniversary of the Goan Declaration of > Self-Determination. By issuing this Declaration, the democratically elected > representatives of the people of Goa to the Government Council made sure > that we, Goans, would never again be told that we never asked for that > right and that for future reference we should always ask. The Declaration > was a protest against the Acto Colonial that had condemned the Goans to > perpetual servitude. The Declaration was approved by the Council by > unanimity. The Council was chaired by Governor Joao Carlos Craveiro Lopes > (father of Francisco Higinio Craveiro Lopes, future President of the > Portuguese Republic). Governor Craveiro Lopes continued to condemn the Acto > Colonial and defend the right of the Goans to self-determination after he > returned to Portugal, thereby risking his career. Two anniversaries of > legitimate protest leading to two drastically different fates. The United > States became the most powerful democracy on earth. The Goans never > exercised their right to self-determination and were destined to never > exercise that right. Below is an article I wrote to commemorate these > memorable anniversaries: > > > *This article is protected by Copyright. No part of it should be > reproduced without the author’s written permission. This article was > published in “Revista da Casa de Goa” and it is reproduced here with the > Editor’s permission. The opinions expressed by the author in this article > are exclusively his own.* > > > > A DAY OF JOY FOR GOANS > John M. de Figueiredo, MD, ScD > > On July 4, 1776, a courageous group of English citizens established in > North America declared their desire to separate from England to form a new > nation, the United States of America. More than a century and a half later, > on July 4, 1930, in a remote corner of the western coast of India, while > the Americans were celebrating their Independence Day, four Goans presented > in Goa a declaration to the Government Council of Portuguese India. The > declaration responded to the request of Dr. Oliveira Salazar, then Minister > of the Colonies, for an opinion from Portuguese India through its > Government Council on his project of the Colonial Act. That Act stated in > Article 2: “It is of the organic essence of the Portuguese Nation to > perform the historical function of owning and colonizing overseas domains > and to civilize the indigenous populations that are comprised in them, also > exercising the moral influence assigned to it by the ‘Padroado do Oriente’ > " And in Article 3: “The overseas domains of Portugal are called colonies > and constitute the Portuguese Colonial Empire.” The four Goans made up the > elected part of the Government Council: Luiz de Menezes Bragança, author of > the Declaration, António Xavier Gomes Pereira, Naraina Bandorcar, and > Cipriano da Cunha Gomes, co-signatories. The declaration was adopted by the > Government Council by unanimous vote. This statement, transcribed from the > Minutes of the Government Council, ran as follow*s:* > > *“1st Portuguese India does not renounce the right of peoples to reach the > fullness of their individuality, until they become units capable of > directing their destinies, since it is an original right, of its organic > essence;* > > *2nd Recommends that, maintaining the organization of the Portuguese State > established in the Political Constitution of the Republic:* > > *a) There is no discrimination between the Metropolis and the Overseas > Provinces of individual rights and guarantees expressed in Art. 3 and its > Constitution numbers and the representation of India in the Congress of the > Republic is maintained* > > *b) The regime of administrative decentralization and financial autonomy > of the Overseas Provinces is reestablished in the terms defined in Articles > 67 B and 67 F of the Constitution as a starting point for representative > institutions of broader action.* > > *c) The principle of majority elected in the highest deliberative body in > the country is reestablished in India, the intervention of that majority > being recognized, through its representatives, in the special function of > the “examination and visa”, of ordering the expenses and accounts of > management"* > > Unlike the founders of the United States, Menezes Bragança, Gomes > Pereira, Naraina Bandorcar, and Cipriano da Cunha Gomes did not ask for > political independence for Goa. Nor was their desire to transfer > sovereignty to the Indian Union, which, at the time, did not yet exist as a > nation. Known as the “Greatest of All”, Menezes Bragança thought that the > people of Goa had an individuality and psychology fundamentally different > from the peoples of the rest of India, the result of Portugal's > assimilationist policy, and it was always of the opinion that Portuguese > India was part and portion of the spiritual unity of the Portuguese Nation. > Despite his vehement opposition to the Colonial Act, he simply asked for > the people of his homeland democratic representation and maximum > administrative and financial autonomy under Portuguese sovereignty. > > To say that Menezes Bragança was the “Tilak of Goa” shows ignorance > of what he wanted for his homeland. Lokmanya Tilak wanted, for his India, > complete and immediate independence (‘*Swaraj*”) from the British > colonial rule. Menezes Bragança was always loyal to Portugal and during the > First Republic he was praised by Dr. Jaime de Morais, Governor of > Portuguese India, for his loyalty to Portugal and his honesty. > Unfortunately, the little he asked for, he did not obtain, and the Colonial > Act was promulgated and incorporated into the 1933 Constitution. Menezes > Bragança's reaction was to state that “the 1933 Constitution betrayed the > spirit of the 1911 Constitution”. His newspaper “*Luz *- *Pracasha*” was > closed by order of the Government, forever silencing his voice. > > In this manner was born the historical fatality of the people of > Portuguese India. As the Viceroy of Portuguese India Count of S. Vicente > said so well, “Portuguese India is only seen from far away and only heard > too late”. The voice of Portuguese India echoed in the desert and died. > Goa's fate was decided by others, not by the Goans themselves. The human > right of self-determination, an “original right, of its organic essence” was > never exercised by the Goans through a plebiscite, and will never be > exercised, but the protest of the Goans against the Colonial Act and the > expression of their natural desire to “reach the fullness of their > individuality” were recorded forever in the annals of history. > The Declaration of Self-Determination is the most important document > in the modern history of Portuguese India. July 4th is not a day of joy and > pride for the Americans only; it is also for the Goans. > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "Goa-Research-Net" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion, visit > https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/979926520.966876.1783225706084%40mail.yahoo.com > <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/979926520.966876.1783225706084%40mail.yahoo.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Goa-Research-Net" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/goa-research-net/CA%2Bmqab-9N6WXMKSJR4nQ%3DRV%3Dd9Re95LSnj5FBHDLQDvEc8ytoQ%40mail.gmail.com.
